For a few hours Saturday night, its time to put the New Year's resolutions aside and indulge in a little chocolate for a good cause at the 9th Annual Central Kansas CASA Chocolate Auction at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Great Bend, said CASA Director Angela Schepmann.

USD 428 Great Bend has a new Superintendent of Schools. Monday night, the B.O.E. held a special called meeting to unanimously approve a motion to enter into an agreement with Dr. Brad Reed. He will step into the position July 1, 2014. Long-time Superintendent Tom Vernon announced in September his retirement effective at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. He plans to stay in the community.

Earlier this month, on Jan. 7, Marmies Great Bend took possession of a very special vehicle, purchased August 10, 2013, by Donald and Kathleen Damon, owners of D & B Motors, LLC of Great Bend, from the Reno/ Tahoe Barrett-Jackson Auction. The 2014MY Ford Shelby GT500 convertible brought in $500,000 for the Brain Injury Association of America. Thursday, Jan. 9, the Damons were met by Great Bend Mayor Mike Allison, who handed them the keys, and offered his appreciation for their continued economic and charitable activity.

HUDSON - Juanita S. Mawhirter, 90, died Jan. 25 at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend. She was born in rural Stafford County on June 15, 1923 to Henry and Anna Siefkes. She was a lifetime Hudson area resident and member of Trinity Community Church, Hudson. She also owned the liquor store in Hudson for many years. Survivors include daughters, Sandra Watson (Richard) of Peck, Marsha Mawhirter of El Dorado, Jayne Boles (Robert) of Andover, Ks; Son, Dan Mawhirter (Teresa) of Great Bend; a sister, Elmaleda McMinn of Emporia. She was preceded in death by both parents, husband Cecil Mawhirter, and ...

As a recent transplant to Great Bend, getting to know the area and the people has been a constant activity for the past year and a half. So, when a copy of Dog of the Afterworld by Leon Unruh made it to my desk, I was intrigued.

Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.

Earlier this month, a group of five Tribune employees, me included, took up the Club 1 Fitness Challenge, and are working on changing the food we eat to develop healthier lifestyles. Okay--we're on a diet. But you're not supposed to say "diet" anymore, right? But we're working on coming up with good tasting, easy to make dishes. With this in mind, I'm extending that to the meals I make my family and friends.

Student volunteers from Great Bend High School delivered new books to the libraries of each of Great Bend's elementary schools Monday morning. It was one way Martin Luther King Day was celebrated, because as Linn Hogg with Volunteers In Action said, King believed all people should work hard to get the best education they could.

After just three years in business, Bullseye Pipe Supply LLC managers Todd Clark and Cortenay Damm are excited about the growth the company has seen recently thanks to oil exploration in Colorado. Last week, they delivered one of their largest orders yet, a 12 tank battery of 400 barrel tanks headed for northern Colorado, near the Brighton and Greeley area.

Art is in the eye of the beholder, and it's hard to deny the emotion and intrigue present in the photo art produced by Great Bend artist Stephen McAnulla. Industry leader Wacom, makers of digital creative tools that allow artists to sketch, draw, paint digitally, will feature McAnulla as part of a panel of experts in an upcoming one-hour online seminar where he will share some of his work.

Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.

DeleteIn recognition of Board Appreciation Month, Superintendent Tom Vernon thanked board members for their service at the start of Monday night's USD 428 Board of Education meeting. Each member received an apple pie and a verbal pat on the back.

ORCHARD, Neb. - Jonathan Carl Lehmann, 48, died Jan. 9, 2014. Born July 9, 1965, in Papua, New Guinea, he was the son of Arlo and Euleen "Joyce" (Werth) Lehmann. In 1984 he graduated from Claflin High School. He received his Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Barton Community College and attended Kansas State University. On June 1, 1991, he married Michelle Nordstrom in Manhattan. To this marriage three children were born, Seth, Ashton, and Shay.

GARDEN CITY - Thursday, farmers, ranchers, and related professionals from western Kansas met at the Finney County Fairgrounds for a workshop focused on managing drought. Climatologists were on hand to give an overview of the current drought. In a nutshell, it's not over.

Articles By Author - Veronica Coons

Monday, March 2, was "Read Across America Day". This year, the book is the Seuss classic, "Oh, The Places You'll Go." At Hoisington Middle School several activities were planned such as crazy sock day, guess the number of gold fish in a bowl, dress like your favorite Seuss character, etc.

Students at Lincoln Elementary school arrived at school Monday morning dressed in the costumes of beloved book characters. Hours of work went into preparations for the school's celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. The popular children's author would be 111 years old this year.

ST JOHN - Dale May, 79, died Feb. 27, at Via Christi St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Wichita. Born Feb. 12, 1936, he was the son of Carl and Flossie May. On Oct. 7, 1974, he married Judy in Macksville. He was employed by Edmiston Oil Company as a Superintendent. He enjoyed cowboying, camping, hunting, fishing, golfing, gardening, and four-wheeling.

Soon, notices from Pawnee Rock's ordnance officers will have some teeth, said Mayor Linda Mccowan. That's because the city council approved the reinstatement of a Municipal Court. The western Barton County town has been without one for over 10 years, and it has been an uphill battle to get absentee owners and landlords to keep up their properties ever since.

At Hoisington's City Council meeting Monday night, Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell read Resolution 03-2015, which voiced opposition to legislation that would move city election to the fall and make those elections partisan. Last year, the governing body voted unanimously to oppose a similar piece of legislation. This year, while the resolution still passed, council person Brian Wilborn, Ward 4, said he favored changing the elections to the fall in order to boost participation.

USD 428 Board of Education members arrived at the library of Great Bend High School's library Tuesday afternoon to find a feast set before them. A themed table arrangement included candles, and at each setting a complimentary small loaf of bread. Students in Kerri Batman's family and consumer science classes had prepared a menu which included beef brisket, roasted potatoes, seasoned green beans, garden salad and fresh cracked wheat berry bread, followed by a dessert of apple crisp with homemade cinnamon ice cream. Principal Tim Friess pointed out that this was one example of the expertise high school ...

Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.

Listening to the national news, let alone the state news, has lately been depressing. But on a local level, there's plenty to feel good about. People in Barton County have heart, and last weekend a select few had a chance to show it in a big way. While many donned their best formal attire to attend the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet, these men donned field gear and welcomed some honest-to-goodness heros to our home.

First grade students at Eisenhower Elementary School ended the day Friday in a special assembly courtesy of Barton County Extension Agents Bernie Unruh and Donna Krug. Forty-five boys and girls crowded into the classroom where they met "Miguel," the Organ Wise Kid, and several organs in his body, including his heart, brain, lungs, intestines and many more.

The public and Great Bend City Council had a chance to meet and talk with the final candidate for the position of Great Bend Chief of Police Thursday evening. An informal come and go reception was held at the city offices.

Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.

Lindsey Bogner, Clara Barton Hospital's foundation assistant, was on the hot seat Tuesday afternoon as she fielded questions at a forum at Barton Community College. One of two candidates for the position of Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, having already met with Barton Community College Foundation board members, it was the faculty and staff's turn, as well as members of the community, to interview her and provide their written feedback.